A year in the making.... Update 22/1/18

[Antm72]

Suspension has arrived Having decided to go with bilstein B8's these are designed for lowered cars as they are uprated and shortened they are a right piece of kit with the centre piston being 30mm in diameter the ride should be quite improved they have built in bump stops so bolt on as they arrive.

 

[t-tony]

Hefty bit of kit that is Ant

Tony.

 

[gookah]

you haven't got a sticking calliper have you.. ? feel the wheel temps..

 

[Antm72]

It is the one that Tony advised was binding a bit i'm going to buy two new fronts the whole front end will be new then.
The front wheels have been striaghtened as the local pot holes had caused issues but the are as straight as a die now and have balanced fine.
Its as strange vibration but nit in the steering or the transmission but is in the body it may be the hardtop to be fair i will remove it and take a drive, as said its hard to place.

 

[Antm72]

Hefty bit of kit that is Ant

Tony.

They are a bit aren't they

 

[Aaron MacQ]

Suspension has arrived Having decided to go with bilstein B8's these are designed for lowered cars as they are uprated and shortened they are a right piece of kit with the centre piston being 30mm in diameter the ride should be quite improved they have built in bump stops so bolt on as they arrive.View attachment 71733
View attachment 71734

Nice.

I love the way the Bilsteins mount upside down. Makes you wonder why most other units don't do the same, although makes trimming the bump stops a pita.

 

[Antm72]

Nice.

I love the way the Bilsteins mount upside down. Makes you wonder why most other units don't do the same, although makes trimming the bump stops a pita.

The instructions say the bumper stops are built in and not required.

 

[Aaron MacQ]

The instructions say the bumper stops are built in and not required.

They are built in, but can still be trimmed if you need to go low. The Bilstein shock is designed to be matched with Eibach springs, which usually are quite modest in their drop. (30-50mm). I've used B8's before with custom springs to get a -70mm drop but i was hitting the bump stops all the time and that in turn caused minor turret mushrooming before I noticed.

Anyway, their design is quite different to others. When you pull up the blue dust cover, the silver bit (at the top) actually contains all the valving. That's why it's so much thicker than other brands. The yellow bit at the bottom is actually just a hollow dust cover and the actual 10 or 12mm piston with the bump stop is housed inside that.

You can trim the bump stops if need be by removing the yellow bit (should be a removing cap right at the bottom) and then it looks just like a regular shock (except upside down).

By putting the valving up top, they reduce the unspring weight, which aids handling.

 

[t-tony]

They are built in, but can still be trimmed if you need to go low. The Bilstein shock is designed to be matched with Eibach springs, which usually are quite modest in their drop. (30-50mm). I've used B8's before with custom springs to get a -70mm drop but i was hitting the bump stops all the time and that in turn caused minor turret mushrooming before I noticed.

Anyway, their design is quite different to others. When you pull up the blue dust cover, the silver bit (at the top) actually contains all the valving. That's why it's so much thicker than other brands. The yellow bit at the bottom is actually just a hollow dust cover and the actual 10 or 12mm piston with the bump stop is housed inside that.

You can trim the bump stops if need be by removing the yellow bit (should be a removing cap right at the bottom) and then it looks just like a regular shock (except upside down).

By putting the valving up top, they reduce the unspring weight, which aids handling.

Clear as mud Aaron, you need some pictures with that technical info for some of us mate.

Tony.

 

[Antm72]

I noticed the bolt at the bottom underneath my springs are suppose to be 40 below but i f needs be i may lift the car alittle depends how it sits after the rear end has been done i expect it to sit alittle higher when all the sagging bushes are renewed. Will wait and see

 

[Aaron MacQ]

Clear as mud Aaron, you need some pictures with that technical info for some of us mate.

Tony.

Haha, sorry. It's years since I pulled my B8's apart. Prob have photos somewhere, but found this on youtube which maybe makes it a bit clearer...

Skip to about 6:15 secs

 

[t-tony]

Haha, sorry. It's years since I pulled my B8's apart. Prob have photos somewhere, but found this on youtube which maybe makes it a bit clearer...

Cheers for taking the time Aaron.

Tony.

 

[Antm72]

Suspension fitted and the drive difference is night and day all clunks gone and the car is very very planted in corners.
The damper making the noise was shot and both gave very slow and little if any rebound.
Passenger side was by far the worst and the noisy one it was toast....

The new struts fitted with ease 6 bolts to remove from the car and one to dismantle.
The front left caliper has just about locked up the wheel would only rotate under duress and when the wheel was off the disc could not be moved by hand so thanks @gookah and @t-tony this will no doubt be some of the vibration/ woobling issue. The rest will be tracking after the bushes as the poly's have certainly pulled the front taught and now it sits correct, its tracking although it does not pull now toes out on both sides so needs to be adjusted.Having freed the caljper off it feels less laboured but the piston is rusty and contaminated.
Ordered a new pair of front calipers they should arrive tomorrow then i can fit the new braided flexi hoses and finish the front.

A cheap pair of calipers @£60 no surchargers brand new nit remanufactured and 2 year warrenty to boot thanks @Sean d for the info


All back together

Now they are fitted i moved to the rear to clean off bolt heads and prep everything for removal.

The hand brake cables actually look quite well but replacements have been brought @£8.62 each was daft not to and bosch as well so good quality parts.
Looked at the hex head bolts that hold the rear beam mounting plates, i know some of you have had issues with these so i thought i'd have a go and get then freed off out and cleaned one less issue when i come to the work.
Good news all removed fine they even cracked off with a 1/4"drive stubby rachet so was very pleased with that result.

Looks quite clean the mounting plates are in good condition little to no rust at all.

A good afternoon spent also managed to relocate the hardtop hoist to its final resting place just the wiring to change and route and its ready for use.

 

[andyglym]

Suspension fitted and the drive difference is night and day all clunks gone and the car is very very planted in corners.
The damper making the noise was shot and both gave very slow and little if any rebound.
Passenger side was by far the worst and the noisy one it was toast....
View attachment 71965
The new struts fitted with ease 6 bolts to remove from the car and one to dismantle.
The front left caliper has just about locked up the wheel would only rotate under duress and when the wheel was off the disc could not be moved by hand so thanks @gookah and @t-tony this will no doubt be some of the vibration/ woobling issue. The rest will be tracking after the bushes as the poly's have certainly pulled the front taught and now it sits correct, its tracking although it does not pull now toes out on both sides so needs to be adjusted.Having freed the caljper off it feels less laboured but the piston is rusty and contaminated.
Ordered a new pair of front calipers they should arrive tomorrow then i can fit the new braided flexi hoses and finish the front.
View attachment 71972
A cheap pair of calipers @£60 no surchargers brand new nit remanufactured and 2 year warrenty to boot thanks @Sean d for the info


All back together
View attachment 71966
Now they are fitted i moved to the rear to clean off bolt heads and prep everything for removal.
View attachment 71967 The hand brake cables actually look quite well but replacements have been brought @£8.62 each was daft not to and bosch as well so good quality parts.
Looked at the hex head bolts that hold the rear beam mounting plates, i know some of you have had issues with these so i thought i'd have a go and get then freed off out and cleaned one less issue when i come to the work.
Good news all removed fine they even cracked off with a 1/4"drive stubby rachet so was very pleased with that result.View attachment 71968
Looks quite clean the mounting plates are in good condition little to no rust at all.
View attachment 71969

A good afternoon spent also managed to relocate the hardtop hoist to its final resting place just the wiring to change and route and its ready for use.

All good stuff mate

 

[Antm72]

All good stuff mate

Agreed looking forward to replacing everything i like a challenge and then i can clean and paint everything and get various parts powder coated to give them longevity

 

[Sean d]

Great stuff Ant, do the caliper look like good quality.

 

[Antm72]

Great stuff Ant, do the caliper look like good quality.

I will photograph them when they arrive. Spoke to Tony and he advised they have to be a set quality to merchandise with a 2 year warrenty and the business address i don't see many issues most parts only carry a year warrenty.

 

[Sean d]

I will photograph them when they arrive. Spoke to Tony and he advised they have to be a set quality to merchandise with a 2 year warrenty and the business address i don't see many issues most parts only carry a year warrenty.

I think it will be the next job for me mate, along with braided hoses

 

[Rha]

Busy busy boy Ant and your Z gets even more longevity. You'll end up with a better than new Z3. Think the front calipers are now noted as being troublesome on these Zs as so many of us have replaced them in the region of 75-100,000miles, could be the long winters with not enough miles that add to this problem. Left my handbrake on in freezing conditions after washing and hoseing the underside and it froze on in my lockup, first time I've left it on and was cought out, it's the little things that catch you out in my book. Run the engine up nice and hot shut the doors went back after a few hrs and it done the job, although they came off with a bit of a crack when reversing out.
The Bilstein set up you've done looks good and will probably make the Z handle like it should have done out the factory.

Roy.

 

[Antm72]

Great stuff Ant, do the caliper look like good quality.

They have arrived mate and i'm happy with the quality. No cast marks and faces all machined where you would expect.
Ordered friday lunch arrived this morning its normally a free next day delivery @£30 A corner the value is supurb.